commentr/StutterDecember 23, 2021

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The license by state issues is a barrier that a lot of SLPs are working to eliminate through legislature of interstate license compacts. So far, there has been some success with this but we need more states on board. Oh I see! so you saw the need then went for it. You are definitely ahead of the curve when it comes to teletherapy. The field is still very much learning about what to do about teletherapy. Like yeah, it existed before the pandemic. But it was so optional and not really preferred. Now, much more popular, even as things "return to normal". The clinic at my university has a lot of people requesting online services rather than physically coming to the clinic. ​ I have some perspectives for you but being I am a 2nd year grad student, I am a bit limited. But my cohort is a rare case. I started treatment clinicals during the pandemic so my first ever clients were exclusively through Zoom. The cohort above me had in person that switched to Zoom, but my cohort was exclusively Zoom. Many older SLPs seemed so shocked at that and seemed like they couldn't imagine starting out ONLY on Zoom. Now, my university is having a teletherapy clinical from now on, because teletherapy is not going anywhere. I also work at a pediatric speech office as a receptionist. We still offer some teletherapy but it has mostly gone back to in person. Also, finding therapists who want to work online is not impossible but there are a lot of therapists right now who look like deer in the headlights when faced with teletherapy. A lot of our typical tools are no longer an option with teletherapy. You need to think of ways to incentivize them to come. Give them tools for teletherapy if you can, you can offer a library to SLPs who decide to be part of this. You have to find therapists that are comfortable with teletherapy, and who work with issues that are possible over teletherapy. Some issues are less ok to work with over teletherapy than others. I have done articulation, stuttering, aphasia, AAC, pragmatics over Zoom, all of which have varying degrees of success. I know voice does well over telehealth too. Also, everything you use must be HIPAA compliant, which can be tricky at times to monitor everything like that.

Themes

Therapy & Professional

Subthemes

Seeking TherapyTherapy Experiences